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VALENTINE DAY GREETING. Cops greet commuters a Happy Valentine's Day at the MRT3 station in Cubao on February 14, 2018. Photo by Rambo Talabong/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Two weeks after it relaunched its controversial Oplan TokHang, the Philippine National Police (PNP) sought to woo the public on Valentine's Day with gifts of flowers and song and dance numbers.

On Wednesday, February 14, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT3) passengers in Cubao were greeted by policemen bearing roses and safety pamphlets as the commuters boarded and alighted the train.

Dubbed as "Katok ng Pagbabago Mula sa Puso (Plea for Change From the Heart)," the cops also delivered song and dance numbers during the event, backed up by a band.

According to Senior Superintendent Bartolome Bustamante, PNP Community Relations Group (PCRG) deputy chief, they held the event to develop a closer relationship with the public.

"Isa po ito sa mga pamamaraan para po malapit ang ating mga kapulisan sa ating mga mamamayan na 'yung soft side ba ng ating PNP maipakita nila (This is one of the ways that our policemen can get closer to our citizens, where they can show their soft side)," Bustamante told reporters on the sidelines of the program.

The PCRG is campaigning for a cleaner image of Oplan Tokhang as the PNP considers it as a "community relations activity." The PNP has repeatedly said that the literal knock-and-plead visitations should be seen as efforts to reach out rather than hardline crime-fighting police operations. (READ: PDEA chief wants PNP to drop the term tokhang)

"TokHang is not a bad word. We know that over so many months it got a new meaning, but the true meaning of that is good, to ask people to do away with drugs," Bustamante added.

The effort to reach out to the public came just two weeks after the PNP relaunched Oplan Tokhang with new stringent rules aimed to prevent police abuse. – Rappler.com

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Welcome to Rappler, a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change. Rappler comes from the root words "rap" (to discuss) + "ripple" (to make waves).